Impact
by Dai-onna
Summary: {SasuNaru} Torn between their goals and thier budding feelings, Sasuke has to make vital choices, and Naruto has to find the strength to hold onto what he wants.
1. First Contact

Fweee, my first Naruto fanfic. Sasu/Naru, of course. It's not often that I venture out of the Yugioh fandom, but I felt I just had to for this . I hope you guys like it. I have no idea where this story is gonna go, but I have a good feeling about it. Hope it's not too OOC ;

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just draw it a whole lot.  
Raiting: R, just to be on the safe side.  
Pairing: Stated above  
Spoilers: Everything before Sasuke runs off to get power from Orochimaru is fair game.

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Impact   
By: Dai-onna  
  
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Sasuke sighed as he snuck out of his house, second and third thoughts on what he was doing flooding his mind. He was giving up on everything he knew; his home, his pride as a Konoha shinobi, his... friends.

Even now, even inside his own mind, he balked at the word. Friends made you weak. They were a liability. When they were hurt, you were hurt, and that made them a weapon that could be used against him. There was no way he could kill Itatchi and avenge his clan with that noose around his neck. His brother wouldn't hesitate to use them against him.

He wouldn't take that risk. He needed power, not hinderances. So he would go to Orochimaru in search of the power he offered. But the doubts crept back up on him again. Was the offer genuine, or merely a trap? If he recieved the power, would he merely be one of the wicked Sannin's pawns? And if everything else fell into place, would the power even be enough?

That was the worry that stuck deep within him, that nagged at him relentlessly. This was his last ditch effort, his final hope, his desperation. He was gambling everything on this. If it wasn't enough, then he would have nothing left.

HIs stomach sank at the thought.

He hefted the bag on his shoulder, glancing back at his home one more time; most likely for the last time.

Silently he crept through the streets towards the village gates, keeping all his senses on alert. If he was spotted,e verything could be ruined before it began.

Halfway to the gates, his sharingan flared as he heard noises coming from down a back alley. Sinking into the shadows, he darted his gaze back and forth, searching for the source of the noise.

The tell-tale flash of orange told him everything he needed to know. But his teammate wasn't fallowing him. And that made him wonder just what the blonde trouble maker was up to, so late at night.

He was torn, between ignoring it and going, and his far burried concern for his self-proclaimed rival. Naruto was so brash, so straightforward and upfront that he wasn't the type to sneak around in the middle of the night.

With a muttered oath, he gave in to the urge, following after the blonde easily, silently thinking that whatever the other was up to better be damn good to delay him this way.

When the other came to a stop, he was in a back lot behind what was once the Ichiha ancestral home. A lump rose up in his throat and his stomach churned as he stared at the building that was once his home. The memories assailed him of his brother's betrayal, and the brutal murder of all those that he had held dear. What was the dobe doing here? Why was he in such a place? Stealthily creaping up into a tree, he over looked the blonde.   
  
--

Naruto stretched some, sighing deeply to himself, taking in all the scents of hte night air. He came he often now, had started just before his trip with the Pervy-sennin. It was his solitude, his sanctuary, and now his training grounds. He had discovered the place by accident, but had quickly learned that it was the perfect place to practice in privacy. For reasons unknown to him, the entire region was full of abandoned houses, including the one nearest him; the largest one. He didn't know what had transpired in this place, but he could feel the death here. The sorrow and the loss. It permeated the air just as intensely as the acrid smell of blood had filled the air so many nights ago. He understood loss, and treachery, and betrayal. He was used to it, and with the Kyuubi spirit that had been inside of him so long, he was at home in it.

He had taken up residence in the lot behind the lavish, traditional training hall/mansion. With targets set up, and obsticals littered about, he had taken control of this land. He wouldn't dishonor the dead by invading the home, but he would make use of what he could, and use this land to become strong; perhaps with the blessings of it's former owners. He didn't think he would ever know.

When he had finished his stretches, he took the athletic tape from his supply bag, wrapping it around his knuckles tightly. In the center of the lot, there was a large wooden post stuck in the ground, rope wrapped tightly around it. Sliding weights he had gotten from Gai-sensei onto his wrists, he prepared himself. It wasn't simply enough to have powerful techniques. As his experiences had proved, you couldn't always rely on the chakra it took to use those jutsus. He also needed physical strength to fall back on. Skill and power that were his own, and not borrowed from the fox demon that dwelled within him. He would never truely be strong in Sasuke's eyes, he believed, if he always had to rely on a power that wasn't his own.

He knew he would never respect himself, and never have the respect of anyone else that mattered to him him if he could not be responsible for his own fights; if he could not win with his own abilities. So he would train, as long and as hard as he had to, to become strong and powerful. He wanted to protected the people he loved, and to fulfill his dreams. But formost in his his mind and heart, he had to prove himself to his long-standing rival. If he didn't have Sasuke's acknowledgement, then none of it was worth it.

Clenching his fists loosely, he dropped into a stance, narrowing his eyes as he began to assail the rope-covered plank with swift, fearsome punches. His speed was also something that needed work. Compared to people like Sasuke and Lee, he might as well be standing still. He glared at his fists, his eyes barely catching their movements as it was. He ground his teeth some, willing his punches to be faster, despite the angry burning in his arm from overuse.  
  
--

Sasuke just stared at the other from the tree, in sort of a detatched shock. He knew, better than anyone how stubborn Naruto was, and how he would never give up on his dreams. But this was a side he hadn't seen much before. This determination. He had never known the dobe to go out of his way to train or improve his skills.

There was a raw look on his face, he could tell, his gaze aided by the Sharingan as he watched him in the dark. The boy was beginning to drip with sweat, despite the chill in the night air, but the blonde showed no signs of letting up in the battery of the wood that Sasuke expected to splinter and break at any moment, despite the rope-guard. He knew full well the force behind one of his teammate's serious punches. And Naruto looked nothing if not serious at that moment.

Something that was unusual all on it's own.

His plans forgotten for the moment, he could only watch the blonde as he worked himself past fatigue and exaustion. His friend's stamina was envyable, and one of his most redeeming factors as far as his ninjutsu was concerned. The boy always seemed to find enough to keep going. He didn't think anything could keep the other down for long.   
  
--

Naruto pulled back from his assault, panting heavily, looking at the ravished, frayed ropes around the wood, and the equally ravaged tape around his knuckles, both bearing clear signs of his workout. But he was far from satisfied, far from done. Still, it wouldn't help him any to push too hard. Breaks, though few and far between, were necessary.

Drawing in a deep breath, he moved to grab his water bottle.

"You can come out."

Sasuke jolted from his place in the tree, his eyes widening him some. He was positive he hadn't given himself away in any way. Scowling in frustration, his hopped down nimbly from the tree.'

"How did you know I was here?" He demanded cooly.

The blonde looked up at him with his usual lazy grin.

"I could smell you."

Of anything he might have expected, that hadn't been one of them. Still, he quickly composed himself.

"Finally picking up on your canine heritage?" He quipped dryly. He was surprised to see a dark look cross the other's face before it was masked by the usual bright look.

"Nah, you just stink." Came the obvious reply, but it was obviously less genuine than usual. Sasuke however wasn't about to persue the reason. It simply wasn't his nature.

"So, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked of him, taking a long swig of his water, looking at him with with mild annoyance and curiosity.

The raven-haired teen's eyes narrowed.

"That should be my question. This is my home." He said curtly.

The look on the blonde's face was priceless, and if he had had any less control he would have laughed outright. The boy's mouth opened and shut, but no sound escaped him as he was obviously at a loss for words.

Naruto didn't know what to think. He had heard bits and pieces of the Uchiha tragedy, though if they could help it, the villagers wouldn't have let him even breathe the same air as the Uchiha clan, much less let him get close to him, so many of the details were lost on him. But still, it explained the empty area and the aura of death that surrounded the place.

He shuddered a little at the thought that Sasuke was the only one to escape this massacre. He grew uncharacteristcally solemn at that, not daring to say anything to that. Even he had his limits.

"I like it here. It's a good place to train without being interrupted." He said neutrally, watching to see if he would protest.

Much to his relief, no refusal was forthcoming. All he got was a grunt.

Sasuke was still raw, being in this place. He hadn't come this close to his home since the tragedy had occured. It left him on edge and it was hard to keep a reign on his emotions.

"What are you doing training so late?" He asked cooly.

"Ah, well, I just wanted to get a little extra edge, you know. More training never hurts, and I couldn't sle-- Ah, hey! What are YOU doing out so late?" He asked, then narrowed his eyes. "And what's with the bag?" His expression dimmed a bit.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, simply glaring past his teammate's shoulder, not answering him.

"You....were leaving..." The blonde's accusation was disturbingly quiet, almost a whisper. It unnerved Sasuke far more than his yelling would have.

"You were going to Orochimaru, weren't you?"

"I'm doing what I have to do to avenge my clan." Sasuke gritted out.

Naruto's eyes were narrowed to slits, lit up with an anger that sent shiver's down the young Uchiha's spine.

"You bastard." The blonde spat. "You were just going to leave, not tell anyone? Don't you give a damn about the people in this village?" He demanded, approaching him menacingly.

Sasuke tensed, his own expression glacial.

"My purpose in life is to avenge my clan. Everything else is secondary." He seethed.

Naruto's eyes flashed, as he reached out, his actions much faster than they had been during his attack on the wooden plank, his emotional state drawing out some of the Kyuubi's speed. He gripped Sasuke's arms tightly, his fingers bruising.

"_Teme_. You're no better than Itatchi." He hissed, causing the older teen to stiffen sharply.

"How dare yo--"

"**_Shut the hell up._**" The enraged blonde growled, his eyes flashing with something dangerous. "You don't give a damn about your clan.

You're just out for blood. And you're disgracing everything the Uchiha family was about. Loyalty to the Konoha. You wouldn't know loyalty if it bit you in the ass. You don't deserve the Uchiha name." He snarled into the black haired boy's face.

Sasuke was frozen, his normally pale features nearly stark white now.

"Y-you don't know....you can't..."

"I don't understand?" The blonde supplied. "You're right, I can't understand, I never had parents to lose, or anyone to betray me. I was hated by everyone. But I could watch. I could listen. The Uchiha family was one of the prides of the village. And it was a tragedy what happened. But the family name still held more pride and respect than I will ever know because YOU still lived on to bring pride to that name. Is this what you want your family to be remembered by?" He demanded.

Sasuke floundered, his mind whirling.

"What would you do?" The emotional teen demanded, trying his hardest to get a handle on his thoughts. "What would you do if your family, the people you loved most were killed. Would you let me or Sakura stop you?"

Naruto laughed bitterly.

"Of course not, because you'd be dead."

Sasuke blinked a little.

"Wha...?"

Naruto shook his head, giving the other a shake.

"And you call me an idiot. You, Sakura, Kakashi and Iruka sensei. You are all my family, the only family I've ever had." He hissed. "You act like you're alone in this, like you have to do everything yourself. Look around you, dumbass. You have a brother and sister and an.....eccentric uncle, all of whom would be there without question if you needed it." He insisted, getting into the other teen's face.

Sasuke panted softly, having a mental overload, trying to get a hold of himself as he met the blonde's gaze.

"I have.....to avenge my family." He stammered out. He was fighting against the seal on his neck that was threatening to flare up, but he wouldn't let Naruto see it, wouldn't show that much weakness. He found himself being shaken again.

"You CAN, you WILL, but not like this! Do it the right way. Honor your family, and your village. You're a Konoha shinobi, dammit, the genuis rookie. Act like it! I'm the one who makes the foolish, reckless decisions, not you!"

Sasuke could only blink at that logic, his head spinning.

Silence fell between the two, barely inches separating their faces. Naruto was panting from his outburst, and Sasuke was uncharacteristicaly lost. Breath calmed and emotions settled slightly, but they didn't break apart, both seemingly caught up in the other.

"We've....been here before." Sasuke murmured quietly.

Naruto blinked once, then twice, trying to place that when the memory hit him. That first day, when he'd been perched on the desk in front of Sasuke, staring the nonchalant teen down.

"Yeah. But there's no stupid genin to push us into each other." He pointed out, his fingers curling into the material of Sasuke's overshirt without noticing it. The silence filled a few moments more, then Sasuke spoke.

"I guess we'll have to improvise." He murmured.

Naruto blinked a little at that.

"What are you talking abo--"

He was cut off when the taller teen tilted his chin up, pulling him close to seal their mouthes together.

The blonde shinobi was dumbfounded. Sasuke was kissing him? The feeling was both familiar and alien. He'd only had one other kiss in his life, but it was the same person, so the sensation, the texture of the other's lips, was the same. He didn't know how to react to that. HIs brain told him to pull away, that this wasn't right. But he was getting drawn into the kiss. HIs hands were clutching at Sasuke's clothes, his lips were moving against the other's. His blood heated up and the feeling was drawing him in.

It wasn't just his own instincts that were influencing him, but the instincts of the Kyuubi deep inside of him. He could feel the heat in his blood, in the very pit of his soul. The fox demon within him was recognizing

Sasuke as a potential mate, and it flared his own burried needs for closeness, for recognition.

With a muffled sound, he pressed himself up against the dark haired boy, his hands moving up his arms and over his shoulders to wrap around his neck tightly in an act of possessiveness.

Sasuke was surprised, by both his own actions, having never expected to be so enticed by the dobe, and Naruto's, never having expected him to respond. If nothing else, he'd expected to be attacked for his little slip up. At the moment, though, he didn't have it in him to complain about the results. The smaller shinobi was plastered up against him, responding to his mouth with a passion he often demonstrated during their fights. The familiarity of that passion had him sinking deeper into the budding desire inside of him.

But there was something else, something looming beneath the blonde's trademark exuberence, something dark, and dangerous, and hungry. He didn't know whether to be frightened or excited by the feral presence he could feel inside the other.

Naruto moaned softly when he felt something warm probing at his lips and parted them in wonder, accepting the other's questing tongue into his mouth. The feeling was an unusual one, but had his stomach flip-flopping in response and his body growing unbearably hot. He wanted to submerge himself inside the other, within Sasuke's ever-present ice, in hopes that he could quelch the fire inside of him.

Hands were on either sides of his hips, holding him to the slightly taller form of his teammate, the grip hard, unyeilding, as if he feared Naruto might try to escape.

Indeed, though, escape was the farthest thing from his mind, despite the way the lines between his own consciousness and the Kyuubi's seemed to blurr, and the way he had no control over his body which seemed to be running on instinct alone.

This was something that had been building between them, it seemed, all this time. Beneath the masks of hate and resentment, beneath the wounded pride and the quest for ackowledgement, this passion, this desire, this hunger had been quietly building, waiting for the moment to be released upon the unsuspecting teens.

The furious kiss didn't break until both boys were breathless, their lips bruised and their hearts racing. They didn't pull apart, once again staring into each other's eyes, reflecting the confusion and need they both felt, and the hazy mist of desire that surrounded them.

Naruto was the first to react, hesitantly uncoiling his arms from Sasuke's neck, his hands sliding down to rest on his chest as a buffer between them.

"That was......that was......What the hell was that?" He finally demanded, quiet and a little breathless.

The onyx-eyed boy let out a stuttered chuckle, shaking his head some, unable to look directly at his rival.

"I would think even you could figure that out, dobe."

"Hey! Don't call me that, asshole!" The blonde protested, more out of instinct than anything else. The familiar exchange made the situation a little less uncomfortable.

"But seriously... what....why did you... what is going on here?" THe blonde couldn't seem to get the question he wanted to come out right.

Sasuke faltered slightly, not really having an answer that wasn't a cop out. It was on the tip of his tongue to say that it was a mistake, that it was some sort of joke, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it, and he had the feeling the the other wouldn't believe him anyways. The passion that had errupted between them had been too strong, too overwhelming to be anything but genuine.

"I don't know..."

Silence reigned between them as they both floundered for something to say, something to break the growing tension in the air.

"It was....it was good though....right?"

The blonde's tentative question had Sasuke jerking his gaze up to look at him. Naruto had his gaze planted firmly on his feet, and even in the dark, the blush was evident on his whisker-marked cheeks. He looked... endearing, if nothing else, and very unsure of himself. Sasuke found himself, uncharacteristically, wanting to smile.

"Well, of course it was good, I was involved, wasn't I?"

The crack put a considerable dent in the tension and Naruto's lips quircked up just slightly against his will.

"Arrogant ass." He muttered, but there was no edge in his voice.

Sasuke smirked at that, reaching out to tug an errant lock of the other's hair.

"Of course, you weren't completely completely horrible."

The blonde scrunched his nose some at that.

"Feh."

"You could use a little more training, though..."

Cobalt eyes met Onyx.

"That an offer?"

Sasuke gave him a bland gaze.

"Well, I can't let my teammate bring me down, can I?"

"Jerk."

"_Dobe_.

The teens shared similar smirks as a brief moment of understanding passed between them.

Then their mouthes were on one another again and they were once again intwined in each other. The feeling of it was just so natural that neither was willing to let thoughts and sensibilities get in the way of their desires.

Naruto's mind was in a shamble, his sensibilties protesting that Sakura-chan was the one he loved, the one he wanted, but the protests seemed feeble in his mind. His feelings for Sakura were pale in comparison to this. Deep down he knew that Sasuke was the one who could bring out his full potential, who had the capacity to understand him. Perhaps he would fight it later, but right now, it just seemed so....right.

Later, they both lay on the ground, panting. Their clothes rumpled and their breath labored. Sasuke was on his stomach, resting on his arms, with the blonde next to him, on his back, staring up at the stars.

By unspoken agreement, neither had tried to go beyond kissing, understanding that neither was ready for anything like that. They were young, and this was all so new to them. And though they would never admit it, it was a bit frightening.

Sasuke was lost in his thoughts. Outside of Naruto's arms, reality returned to him, and he realized that nothing had really changed. Itatchi was still out there, somewhere, and he was still far too weak to be a match for him. One day his brother would return for him.

For Naruto; he reminded himself, a churning in his stomach that threatened to make him ill.

After everything, after all that the other sharingan user had put him through, it wouldn't be he that he would come back for, it would be Naruto.

Something that burned a jealous fire within him. Why was it Naruto? A boy that had never had any association with the Uchiha clan. He just couldn't understand it.

"Hey, _dobe_?"

The blonde twitched a little at the name, but understood that it helped keep things in perspective if they didn't start calling each other by name.

"Yeah, jack-ass?"

Sasuke let out a half-hearted chuckle before sobering.

"Why.....why is Itatchi after you?"

The silence that fell between them was anything but comfortable, and the look on Naruto's face unnerved the older boy.

Naruto's face was a combination of pain, and distate, brought on by bitter memories. With out thinking about it, he placing his hand over the seal on his stomach. He didn't want to tell Sasuke. He didn't want to lose the grudging respect that he had gained from his teammate. He didn't want to see the slowly growing affection there turn to hate and disgust.

Still, more than anyone, his teammate had the right to know. With a soft, imperceptible sigh, he sat up, carefully peeling off his shirt.

Sasuke's eyes widened at that. Of all things, he had not been prepared for that. Still, he couldn't tear his eyes away. In the moonlight, the other's honeyed skin was like a pale gold, flawless and enticing.

With a brief gaze at Sasuke, the blonde began to draw out his chakra until the seal on his stomach became visable.

The raven-haired teen gasped softly and Naruto had to turn his gaze away, unable to look directly at him.

"Itatchi doesn't want me...he wants what's inside of me." He murmured solemnly, for the countless time cursing his fate.

"What....what is it...?"

Naruto could hear the confusion in his voice and he closed his eyes tight.

"When I was a baby....the _Yondaime_ sealed the spirit of the Kyuubi inside of me." He whispered, hot tears of shame stinging his eyes as he remembered all the people who had hated him because of it, their children who had hated him simply because all the adults did. He hadn't deserved it. he hadn't done anything. He was just a lonely child that didn't understand why everyone despised him so. All he had wanted was for someone to see him and care. Iruka-sensei had been the only one to do that, the only father figure he had ever had.

Sasuke just gaped at him for a moment, prepaired to chide him for lying to him about such a serious matter. But there was no lie in how miserable the other looked, like his heart was shattering into a million pieces and he was trying to pick them up one by one. There was no disguising the seal on his stomach either. And the more he thought about it, the more pieces seemed to fall into place. The village's general disgust for the other boy; even before he had ever started causing trouble. Sasuke couldn't remember a time when the village hadn't despised the lonely boy. He had often wondered why, but had never asked.

It also explained the sudden power surges. Naruto was strong and skilled, yes, but there were times, like when he had faught Gaara, that the other had gone well beyond his limits with an unnatural, and frankly, evil chakra.

Was that the reason behind it? Was that how he always seemed to have something left. Was he tapping power from the Kyuubi?

The thought sent chills down his spine. He had heard the countless stories about the demon fox from his parents when he was young, and in his lessons durring the acadamy, and the thought of confronting one of, if not The most powerful youma to ever plague their land turned his blood cold with terror. And to have that beast living inside of you....to control it...to draw on it's power without loosing control....New, unbelievable respect for Naruto blossomed within him.

Then the full impact of what the blonde said settled on him.

"Itatchi wants....the Kyuubi?" He choked out.

Naruto was a little confused. So far, Sasuke hadn't reacted at all to his revelation. It unnerved him a little.

"That's what Pervy-Sennin says, though he doesn't know why." He murmured, not daring to look at the other.

Sasuke nodded absently.

"And the fox demon is inside of you? Has been, all this time?"

Naruto flinched a little, bracing himself for the other to despise him.

"Apparently. I didn't find out until the academy graduation. And even then it was by accident." He murmured meekly.

Sasuke looked up at him in confusion at that.

"You didn't know? They never told you?" He asked curiously.

The blonde let out a bitter laugh.

"Feh, you know, they actually had a rule about it. That no one was ever allowed to tell me about it. Pervy-sennin says that it was because the _Yondaime_ wanted me to have a normal life, to be respected by the village and happy." He scoffed at that. "Talk about backfiring, huh?"

Sasuke could only gape. All these years, Naruto had been protecting the village by being the vessal for the dreaded Kyuubi, by keeping him sealed away, and the entire village treated him like a plague; like something to be despised and forgotten. How the hell could they do something like that. And for so long, to have been a little, boy, all alone, no parents, no friends, something he could understand all too well, and not even know why. He felt his stomach lurch at the thought. At least he had known the love of his family. What it was like to have people care for him; protect him, even if he had lost him. And even then, the rest of the village had been there for him, offering comfort, support, respect for who he was. He had refused it, but it had been there.

Naruto had had nobody for so long...

His chest constricted odly. Now he understood Naruto's reactions durning his fight with Gaara. Why he had acted so strange. He must have seen so much of himself in the truamatized Sand-nin

"How....how could they do that to you?"

Naruto could only blink at that, jerking his gaze. The words had been whispered, so surely he'd missheard them. It had sound like....like...the other sympathiszed with him. But that wasn't possible...was it?

"_Nani_?"

Sasuke was livid, true enough, but it was on Naruto's behalf.

"How could the village do this to you?!" He demanded of the world. "They should be treating you like a hero. Countless of them would never have the courage to even face the Kyuubi, but you live with it inside of you every day.

You keep it in check and keep the village safe. They'd all be dead if it wasn't for you."

Naruto could only stare in undisguised shock. HIs eyes were wide, and welling with unshed tears. Sasuke...didn't hate him?

"You.....you..."

Before he had time to react, Sasuke had his arms full of crying shinobi and he was at a loss for what to do.

Tentatively, he brought his arms up around his friend, rubbing his back lightly. Comfort was decidedly not his strong suit and he didn't know what to do. But right now, even his heart wasn't cold enough to turn his friend away.

Naruto sobbed softly into Sasuke's chest. He was floored by the fact that the other didn't hate him, and it was a litle too much or him to take. He didn't know how to take it all. he was just so overwhelmed, so relieved. he didn't know what he would do if Sasuke hated him. he support and acceptance of someone so important to him went a long way to help loosen the painful grip of loneliness around his heart.

He sniffed softly, glancing up at a clearly uncomfortable Sasuke, giving him a watery smile as he tightened his arms around him.

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun." He murmured lightly.

The dark-haired boy nodded some, not really understanding what he was being thanked for. Apparently he'd done something right, though.

"Uh....you're welcome?"

The situation seemed to dawn on the blond and he laughed lightly, burying his face in Sasuke's shoulder.

"I won't tell anyone you're actually a nice guy if you don't tell anyone I cry like a girl. " He muttered lightly, laughing at himself.

The dark-haired boy snorted softly, shaking his head.

"Deal."

Naruto sighed softly, relaxing into the other. It felt good, he decided, really good, to have someone who didn't hate him for what was inside of hime, who was actually upset for him, who cared about the way he had been treated by the rest of the village. It made him feel warm and loved inside. It helped him heal.

Sasuke hmmed to himself, frowning internally. He'd run into a serious roadblock. He couldn't leave now. Because of Naruto, and because of himself.

The other had torn apart his plans with a few angry words, and had shredded his determination with some heart melting kisses.

Sighing some, he gave his teammate a wry glance.

"You know you owe me for this; keeping me here. I need to be stronger, I have to be able to avenge my family."

Naruto glanced up at him, his expression sober before his face split into a wide grin.

"Then we'll train and get stronger together." he chirped brightly. "We'll become powerful until we're the only match each other has." He nodded firmly, clenching his fist, a grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes.

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at that.

"You think you can keep up with me, Dead-last?" He drawled.

Naruto's eyes narrowed in challenge.

"Bring it on, pretty boy."

--TBC--

Yay, my first chapter done. How was it? FF.net was being a pain about the formatting Please review and let me know. Ideas and suggestions are always welcome. Also, I'm torn between Gaara/Lee and Saku/Lee. Which sounds better?

Hopefully the second chapter won't take too long.

Review!


	2. Second Chances

Wow, I'm so glad everyone liked my first chapter. I know it was a bit OOC, but I'm glad it was a hit. You're reviews mean a lot to me.  
In response

FWWEEE! So many suggestions, and such wonderful criticism.Even some authors whose stories I read . I will be taking a lot of your ideas to heart and thinking thing over carefully. But, I don't want to ruin any surprises   
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Now, on with the new chappy.   
  
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Impact: 2  
By Dai-onna  
  
---  
  
Daybreak was a generally quiet event as the sun spread over the _Konoha Gakure_, but in the lot behind the Uchiha training hall, silence was the farthest thing in the world. 

"Is that the best you can do, _dobe_?. Pathetic." 

"Shut up, asshole, I'm just getting started." 

"That's what you said three hours ago." 

"Arrgh!!" 

Cries, shouts, and various obscinities had been heard throughout the night as the two teammates, whom had found stable ground between them, trained until sunrise. Both boys were tired, sweaty, and sore from the constant workout, but neither was ready to stop. Training, and falling into familiar routine helped keep thoughts that they weren't ready to deal with at bay. 

Naruto was more than a little frustrated. Neither of them were willing to pull out their special techniques that they had tried to use on each other the day before, so they were sticking to basic combat, and simple jutsus, and needless to say, Sasuke was far better than him in that area, with his greater speed and technique, as well as the Sharingan. Not that he was beaten, no definitely not. What Sasuke had in speed and skill, Naruto matched with stamina, and sheer determination. 

And now, after hours of training, both were exhausted, but their battled had become less one-sided. Sasuke's blows were landing less and less frequently as fatigue took over, and Naruto's punches, while weakened, were starting to hit their mark. 

Still, their bodies would give out long before their usual banter did. 

"What's the matter, Sasuke-chan, getting tired?" He taunted, a lopsided grin on his lips. His entire body felt like lead from the heavy training, but it was a good exhaustion, one that made him feel alive and excited. It only further fueled his adreneline. He also liked the frustration on the dark haired teen's face, because it showed that he was actually a challenge for him, and it made him feel more confident in himself, and in his hopes that Sasuke would recognize him as a rival, and be proud to have him as a teammate. The desire seemed even stronger now, after their midnight encounter. He wanted the other shinobi's respect and admiration, perhaps more than that of anyone else in the village. 

Sasuke growled lightly at the taunt, grinding his teeth in frustration. He knew he had used up most of his chakra throughout the night, and was more or less running on fumes. It seemed that, despite his speed and skill, he was no match for Naruto when it came to a long, drawn out fight. The thought irked him, though beneath the irritation, he was proud of his teammate for his own abilities. 

He couldn't help but admit to himself that the blonde wasn't the useless idiot he had once thought he was. He was reckless, to be certain, but he never gave up, no matter what the situation. It was an odd though, he knew, to admit to himself that Naruto was a worthy opponent. Not that he'd ever say it outloud, of course. he'd never live it down, and the blonde would be more annoying than ever. 

And damn, if he wasn't in a hard spot at the moment. He was worn out, and exhausted, so if he couldn't end this quickly, he might have to admit defeat to the fox-boy, something he was loathe to do, no matter how much grudging respect he had for him. He racked his brain, trying to come up with some sort of strategy. 

His lips curled up in a slight smirk. It was sneaky, and underhanded. But it might work. 

"I should be asking you the same thing, dobe." he drawled lightly, waiting for the right moment to come up behind the blonde, hooking his arms under his to hold him, trapped. He didn't have the power left to hold him for long, but... 

Naruto growled in annoyance as he struggled against the other's hold, trying to work his arms free. His own strength was sufficently depleated, but he was sure he at least had enough to get out of this. 

His thoughts flew out the window, though, when a sharp pain, followed by a blazing heat blossomed in his neck. 

_Is he....biting me??_ The frantic thought raced through his mind as he floundered for a way to respond to that. Then the pain dulled as a light suction tugged at his neck and a spear of warmth flooded his body, from his neck, to his toes, then back up again. His knees felt weak and a strangled sound errupted from him. He forgot about struggling against the hold as the sensation on his neck took his complete attention. 

Then the feeling was gone, and the next thing he knew, he was flat on the ground, pinned on his stomach with the taller boy straddling his back, a smug smirk on his face. 

"That....that......You cheater!" He cried out, indignant, his face flushing with heat. "You bit me!" 

Sasuke smirked, pirched on top of hte other using his weight to hold him down. 

"You're just mad that you didn't think of it first." Naruto scrunched his nose lightly. 

"Well, yeah....But it's expected of me! It's cheating when you do it." He whined. 

The raven-haired teen smirked, moving off of the other, and brushed himself off. 

"Your logic astounds me sometimes." 

The blonde shinobi huffed as he got to his feet, brushing the dirt off the front of his clothes. 

"You're still a cheater." He sulked, bringing a hand up to the bite mark on his neck. Touching it caused a shiver to run through him. Sasuke had bit him... The words just sounded so...so...wrong in his mind. It wasn't like a fierce bite, either.... It was like a love-bite! The shiver returned again and it brought friends. He had to struggle not to look over at his teammate. This was just so weird. 

He and Sasuke didn't even like each other. They always argued, and picked on each other, and just generally annoyed each other. They weren't supposed to kiss, or...or....bite! It just...wasn't right. But then, Sasuke had really surprised him with how understanding he had been when he learned about hte Kyuubi, and he had floored him by getting angry on his behalf. Iruka-sensei had been sympathetic, understanding and comforting; but no one had ever been mad for him before. It made him feel a peculiar warmth inside that was totally alien to him. 

He wanted to feel more of it, though. 

Sasuke was also avoiding looking at his blonde friend. He had been acting more than a little out of character for himself all night and it made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to be sociable, or friendly, or, dare he say it, playful. He just wanted to be cold, and stoic, and continue on with his life-plan. 

But of course, Naruto had ruined that for him. Whenever he thought about the life he had set out fr himsef, the blonde's words resounded in his head, like an internal reprimand. 

'Don't you give a damn about the people in this village?' 

'Is this what you want your family to be remembered by?' 

'You are all my family, the only family I've ever had.' 

'You have a brother and sister, and an..... eccentric uncle, all of whom would be there without question if you needed it' 

He sighed a little, shaking his head at that, sparing a brief glance at Naruto who was determinedly not looking at him as he gathered up his things and got some water. 

A brother, huh? He knew how it felt to have a brother, but that wasn't something he felt towards the blonde. Naruto got under his skin like no one else. He mad him angrier than anyone, save Itachi. He didn't like the way he felt so sympathetic for him, the way he understood his lonliness, the way he wanted to comfort him, even if he didn't know how. He didn't like the way that the other made him feel like he had been making a mistake all these years by pushing everyone away, and that he might be stronger if he hadn't. 

He hated questioning himself, and Naruto made him do that more than anyone; especially now. 

He didn't understand fully what had happened during the hours past. Those kisses, those unguarded moments. He didn't know how to handle them fully. They had felt......they had made him feel... like nothing else mattered outside of them. The sensation of hte other's lips against his own had made him forget about his priorities, about his self imposed rules. 

They had made him want. And despite all that, he couldn't bring himself to think of it as a mistake. 

And that frightened him a lot more than he was willing to admit. 

Naruto was the one true friend he had had during his self-inforced isolation. The one who could understand him, sympathize with him. He didn't back off when he got the cold shoulder from him like everyone else. He just kept pushing and poking until something gave. It touched him as much as it annoyed him. 

And he had given, it seemed. He could no more abandon the village now than he could admit an undying love of ramen. It was sacrifice he was afraid he would regret. At his progression rate, he would never be strong enough to kill Itachi. 

'You don't give a damn about your clan. You're just out for blood.' 

The words sent a chill down his spine. Had Naruto been right? Had he forgotten all about avenging his family and bringing justice to his family name? Had he simply been going after his brother out of his own personal vendetta? 

_'You're no better than Itachi.'_

The memory of the words made him feel ill. Especially the ring of truth to them. To hate, to despise. Those were things his brother had tought him on the night he'd killed their parents. Those were things he had clung to without thought. Words he had held onto like a life line, thinking they would make him strong. But he didn't want to be strong if it made him like his brother. 

_'Then we'll train and get stronger together--We'll become powerful until we're the only match each other has.'_

Those words...They had been so certain, without a trace of doubt in them. he wanted to believe them. He wanted to believe that he could get stronger here. 

He wanted to find the power to protect the people who had faith in him like Naruto did. 

With an internal sigh, he wiped the sweat fro his brow, glancing over at his teammate. 

"We should get back. The sun's up and we'll have to meet with Sakura and Kakashi soon." He murmured nuetrally, not really looking forward to the day ahead since he was so drained. 

Naruto jolted a little when the other suddenly spoke, risking a glance at him. 

"Uh, yeah. You're probably right." He murmured, glancing up at the sky, then back at his supply bag. How was all this going to work? Work they just going to forget it all happened--fat chance of that happening, in his mind-- pretend that it was nothing but a fluke? Or was something really going to come from what had happened here? 

He chewed on his lip idly, scrunching his nose in thought. It was no good, though. He was too tired, and too hungry to try and think, much less make life-altering decisions. Maybe after a shower, and a hot breakfast, he'd be more up to using his brain. 

Stuffing everything back in his bag, he zipped it up and looked over at Sasuke, hesitating before speaking. 

"Uh..... so.......what now?" He questioned, biting the inside of his cheek. He was mortified to feel the heat rising up in his cheeks. But he couldnt help it. This was just too weird! 

"Hn. We go home, eat, then train." 

THe blonde huffed. 

"That's not what I-- What do-- You know what I mean!" He protested. 

The dark-eyed boy couldn't suppress a chuckle. 

"I won't degrade myself by admitting that." 

"Hey!" 

Naruto growled. Why did the other always have to be so irritating??? 

"Dammit, I'm being serious, here." 

It was on the tip of Sasuke's tongue to come up with a usual retort, but held it back. They DID need to talk about this; as much as he was reluctant to do so. 

"I don't know." 

Naruto look up at that, blinking a little. 

"Huh?" 

He was hit with a dark piercing gaze. 

"I said I don't know. It's not like I planned any of this." Sasuke snapped. "Do you even know what you want?" 

THe blonde cringed; at the question, not the tone. He'd long since grown used to the other's curtness. 

"Err...not really." 

"That's what I thought." There was an uncomfortable silence that made Naruto fidgety. What did he want? That was the real question, wasn't it? Those kisses they had shared....the ones that made his stomach do those awkward little flip-flops. The ones that curled his toes, and warmed his blood... Would it be so wrong....to want more of that? 

He brought his hand back up to his neck, frowning lightly to himself. 

Sasuke shook his head some, trying not to fall into his own thoughts. 

"Strain your brain later, _dobe_. We have to get back." He muttered, grabbing his own forgotten bag of things. 

"Don't call me that!"  
  
---  
  
Tsunade sighed to herself as she looked over the room of assembled Jounin that she had asked to meet her here, and over at Jiraiya who was looming silently in the corner. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she addressed them all. 

"The village is still in heavy dissrepair and we have a lot of missions coming in despite it. With most of the Jounins and Anbu guarding the village against attack, the Chunins, and even the Genins are going have to work harder, and take harder missions. We can't afford to let our reputation slip, or the surrounding clans will see our village as a prime target for attack." 

She watched the assembled group, looking over their expressions to see if they agreed or dissagreed. 

Kakashi, as usual, was an enigma to read, but he was nodding to himself, clearly in approval. Either that, or he had managed to sneak one of Jiraiya's books into the meeting. She didn't doubt it. 

Asuma looked pensive, clearly not wanting to put his students into unnecessary danger, but he didn't seem to have any outright protests. 

Kurenai looked about the same, the young woman's nose scrunched up lightly in thought. 

Gai was oddly stoic, clearly deep in thought. Undoubtably thinking about his protege's situation. She didn't blame him, but wasn't about to let him dwell on it too much during this state of crisis. 

"Several important missions have already arisen, and chunins that showed exceptionable abilities have been sent on the A ranked missions, though in doubled groups. But in their absense, it's up to the genins, and the less experienced chunins to pick up the slack. Most specifically, your teams, who show the most exceptional abilities." 

Now the pride was clear on their faces, and she gave them a minute to it before continuing. 

"However, there is one other, very important factor to consider. Uchiha Itachi." The room grew grim. "It's clear that he's After Naruto; and more specifically, the Nine-tailed fox. Above all else, we must keep them from obtaining it. Although their motives are unclear, with the kyuubi in their hands, it would mean disaster for all that stand in their way." 

The jounins grew slightly restless, clearly none of them wanting to think about that and the possible consequences. 

"So what do you recommend we do?" This from Kurenai. 

She drew in a heavy breath. 

"I'm deflecting all missions that are far outside of the village to Kakashi's team." She told them, watching stoically as the masked Jounin's gaze became riveted on her. "With a group of S-class criminals after him, Naruto, and all those around him are in serious danger. Inside of the village, he's an easy target. If we can keep him out of the village, then not only will he be harder to track down, but it will deflect the danger from the village during repairs." 

She was given reluctant nods, the teachers clearly seeing the logic in that. 

"Of course, there is still a likely possibility that a ninja as skilled as Itachi will be able to track him down, and it's inevitable that they will be confronted with him again. For that purpose, all of your teams will be devided to best suit the missions. It's up to you Jounins to keep them cooperating." 

Asuma stood, slamming his hands on to the table they were assembled at. 

"You're splitting them up? Why?" He demanded. 

She sighed heavily. 

"Because, several of them will be accompaning Naruto and the young Uchiha boy. They will be needed to protect Naruto, and keep Sasuke from rushing into something that could get them both killed." 

"What about Sakura?" Kakashi was watching her intently and she could see the concern for his students clear in his eyes. She offered him a light smile. 

"Sakura will be filling Hyuga Neiji's position on Gai's team." She glanced at the flamboyant Jounin to see if he protested, but he seemed to be considering the merits of it. 

Kakashi almost looked exasperated. 

"Just who is going to be on which teams?" He asked, the question seeming to be a mutual on amongst the team leaders. 

"Kakashi will be taking Naruto, Sasuke, Neiji, in addition with the Inuzuka boy. Kurenai and Asuma will be in charge of Shikamaru, Ino, Chouji, Hinata, and Shino. In reserve, Gai's team of Sakura, TenTen, and Lee will handle D rank missions and stay in the village in case of emergancy." She told them. 

A tick in Gai's cheek told her that the teacher was obviously not happy about the situation, but knew that with Lee in his condition, it was the best arrangement for the time being. 

"Now, still, with our more talented Shinobi so spread out, and our forces stressed, we're still in a tight spot. So I've arranged for some assistance to--" 

A knock on the door interrupted her. It opened to reveal three figures and 

Tsunade smiled up at them welcomingly. 

"Ah, just in time. Come in, and sit down, and we'll continue this meeting."  
  
---  
  
Sakura sighed as she waited on the small bridge for her teammates and teacher, rubbing at her eye blearily. She'd been up most the night, wandering the streets, her worries over Sasuke having her standing guard. She supposed they'd been unfounded, though. She hadn't seen a trace of him the entire night, and it eased her mind a little, but she wouldn't be able to relax until she saw her teammate. 

Tensions had been running high, and the frustration between Naruto and Sasuke had seemed to reach a boiling point. She cared so deeply for them both. Sasuke....She loved him; she truely believed that. And Naruto was like a little brother to her. Annoying, but always there for her when she needed him, and always loyal. It hurt her deeply to be torn between them, and she didn't want to see either of them get hurt. 

But she wasn't like them. As much as she wanted to be strong, to prove herself to her loved ones, she didn't have that drive that the boys did to be the best. She couldn't understand it. She couldn't pretend to. But she hated the fighting between them. 

She just didn't know how to stop that. 

She raked her hand through his hair, sighing at the shortened strands. She had grown it long in hopes of impressing Sasuke, but the black-eyed teen seemed less than concered with the new style. It left her feeling kinda empty that she had wasted so much of her effort on growing it out. Was it really futile to hope that someday Sasuke would return her feelings? 

She was afraid of the answer. 

"Thinking hard?" 

She jumped at that, looking up to see her smiling sensei crouching on the rail of the bridge. 

"Kakashi-sensei, you're early!" She gasped, placing a hand over her chest in an attempt to still her heart. 

The silver-haired teacher tilted his head in amusement. 

"Actually, I'm five minutes late." 

"But that's early for you!" The girl protested, wonderng if there was something wrong, or if their eccentric teacher just wanted to toy with their minds. With Kakashi, you could never really tell. 

"Well, nothing happened today, so I was only a little late."He told her vaguely, causing her to scrunch her nose in suspicion. Still, she didn't say anything about it. 

"Now, all we need is Naruto and we can begin training." Sakura blined rapidly at that. 

"Huh? But what about--" 

She looked around quickly, jolting when she saw Sasuke, stoic as ever, leaning against a tree beside the bridge. She wondered how long he'd been there and flushed slightly, a hopeful part of her wanting to think he'd been watching her. 

However, Sasuke didn't even acknowledge her gaze. In fact, she couldn't be sure, but the teen looked a little preoccupied with something. Though that wasn't really a surprise to her, given the fight the day before. She wished that she knew what to say to him. 

"OI, _MINNA_!" Came the exuberant voice as Naruto ran towards the bridge. The corner of Sakura's mouth quirked just slightly. Nothing could get him down for too long, it seemed. Naruto was always a bright spot in the day, even if he was a bit annoying. 

The orange clad boy was grinning, though he seemed a little more tired than usual and she grew briefly concerned. Had the boy not gotten much sleep either? She tilted her head a little, studying him as he grew closer. 

"Gah! Kakashi's here? I didn't think I was that late!" The boy exclaimed, his baby blues widening drastically, much to their teacher's amusement. She shook her head a little, her gaze drifting back over to Sasuke, blinking when she saw him quickly turning his gaze from Naruto, a peculiar look on his face. 

She frowned a little, her eyebrows drawing back. She didn't want there to be a lot of tension between them, and wished she could say something. 

But anything she said might only make things worse at this point, she feared.  
  
---  
  
Naruto panted, trying to catch his breath, and trying his hardest not to look over at Sasuke. Whatever they were going to do, whatever might change between them, it was best not to let on about it yet, right? It would only make things even more awkward. Besides, he had other things to think about than the piercing onyx gaze that he could feel boring into his back. Definitely. 

Forcing himself to concentrate, something that wasn't exactly his strong suit, he looked up at Kakashi curiously. The teacher was never on time. It just wasn't done, unless something was wrong. He seriously hoped that wasn't the case. 

Since everyone had shown, Kakashi cleared his throat, gathering their attention before any possible arguments might break out between them. 

"Now, before we start training, I need to discuss something with you. Over the next few days, the genin teams will be rearranging themselves to take on harder missions since everything is so hectic right now." 

Naruto blinked at that, his eyes widening. Harder missions? The thought sent a surge of excitement through him that made him want to cheer. But that reaction was halted as he processed the other part of what their teacher had said. Rearranging the teams? What if he got sepparated from Sakura-chan! Or......Or Sasuke.....His stomach knotted at the thought. If they got split up...then he'd almost never get to see Sasuke. How the hell were they going to work out whatever this was between them? 

"W-what??! You can't split us up! We're a team." He protested vehemently, not letting the teacher continue. He refused, he wouldn't let it happen. "You can't!" 

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head some. 

"It's an order from the Gondaime. All the teams are rearranging, in groups of four or five to handle the C and B ranked missions." He frowned a little beneath his mask, knowing this was going to be difficult, and looked at the pink haired girl. 

"Sakura. With Neiji on a different team, and Lee injured; Gai's team is going to need your intellegence and logic. I'm counting on you to work well with them." 

Sakura's eyes widened and she floundered a little. She was leaving the team? 

She felt like she might be ill just at the thought. She didn't want to leave her precious friends, even if she was still going to be with friends. She didn't want to leave Sasuke. 

"But...." She swallowed hard, her eyes suspiciously hot. "Yes Kakashi-sensei." 

"No!" Naruto's vehement refusal jolted her, and she looked at him with damp eyes. "You can't split us up, you can't! Why does Sakura have to go?! Why not someone else, like Shikamaru, or even Ino. Why Sakura?!" The girl sniffed softly at Naruto's anger, it touching her that he didn't want her to go so much. 

Kakashi grew serious, not wanting a mutiny on his hands. He prayed the Gondaime knew what she was doing. 

"There was no choice about it. She and Neiji will be trading places, and she in particular is needed on Gai's team." He didn't say it out loud, but he was sure his students, at least two thirds of them, understood that Lee needed Sakura around to keep up his morale. 

Naruto's eyes were blazing though and he knew the boy was hating him at the moment. 

"But we need her." He protested. 

"Naruto, that's enough." This from Sakura, who was smiling at him gently, wiping at her damp eyes. 

"It's alright. It's not like we won't see each other anymore, right? The important thing is to protect the village, and complete our missions." She told him, trying to calm him down. "We'll still be best friends, okay? Changing teams won't change that." 

Naruto looked torn, looking back and forth between Sakura and Kakashi, obviously not wanting to let go. 

"But..." 

Sakura shook her head, leaning over to kiss the frustrated blonde on the cheek; not noticing the brief, but deadly glare that landed on her for a second. 

"It's alright. We'll all still get together. It won't be so bad, you'll see." Naruto just stared at her, wide-eyed. 

"Sakura-chan...." he clenched his eyes and his fists tightly, turning his burning gaze on Kakashi again. 

"And what about Sasuke and I? Are you splitting us up too?" He demanded bitterly. The thought had an angry fire churning in his stomach. He couldn't bear to be parted from his two precious friends. From his family. 

"You and Sasuke will remain on the team, along with Neiji and Kiba." The teacher told him, a drawn look in his one visable eye. 

While it was a great relief that he wasn't going to be separated from them both, Naruto just couldn't bring himself to be happy when he was still parting with Sakura. It wasn't mearly just about his supposed crush; over the time they'd all spent together, Sakura was, like he'd told Sasuke, a sister. It was hard to think that he wasn't going to see her, train with her, everyday. 

Sakura sighed, seeing the turmoil being raged in her blonde friend, and placed a hand on his arm. 

"It'll be alright, Naruto. Really. Besides, Neiji and Kiba are friends, right? So it's not like you'll be with strangers instead. And it's not right away." She turned to Kakashi, a hopeful look on her face. 

"Yes, the change will occur over the next few days, but you have today and tomorrow together at least." 

The words, hearing of their limited time as a team, were sobering, but Sakura was resolved to be optimistic, and look at it in a good light. Even if her own inner feelings were putting up as much of a fight as Naruto had been. 

"Well. There you go. We still have two days. We'll make the most of them, and then we'll make do with what comes. This is just one more test, you know. We won't always be able to work as a team, and will have to work with other people, right? IT's just another way to get stronger." 

Even though the words were more to convince herself, she turned a pleading gaze on Naruto, silently begging him not to make this any harder. 

The blonde boy was lost, desperate to hold onto the only family structure he'd ever had; but inside, he knew that she was right. He had to learn to make do with the situation, to aclimate himself to it, or he'd never get stronger. It might have been the hardest thing he'd done, but he forced himself to give Sakura a sunny grin. 

"You're right. But that's no surprise. You're the smart one, after all, Sakura-chan." He chirped, though the smile on his face didn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course, we can't split up without a party, right? Tomorrow night let's all go have ramen!" Then as an after thought. "On Kakashi!" 

The laughter, though somewhat strained, severely lightened the mood, and Naruto tried his best to be optimisitic. 

While Kakashi explained their training for the day, his gaze wanded to Sasuke, wondering what the other boy was thinking. Did it bother him; to lose part of their team? Had he felt that clenching of fear in his stomach? Had his palms started to sweat and his chest tighten at the thought of their time together being so limited? 

As much as he was unnerved by these feelings, he couldn't help but desperately wonder if he was the only one feeling them. 

His breath hitched in his throat when that solemn, onyx gaze turned and settled on him. The look sent little shivers down his spine and made him want to fidget restlessly. It had never bothered him before, having eyes on him, no matter how foolish he might be acting. Though sitting here, doing nothing at all, with Sasuke's eyes on him, made him feel unusually warm, and more than a little uncomfortable. 

He didn't break his gaze though, didn't think he was capable of it, the way those startlingly deep eyes held him entranced. He wondered if the question was in his eyes, and if the other could read it there. Would you have missed me, if we were separated, or would you have been glad that I was no longer holding you back? 

He swallowed hard, seeing the raven-haired teen furrow his brow, staring at him with an intensity that he was unfamiliar with. He couldn't understand it; the way Sasuke affected him like this. Was it all just something in his mind? He'd never felt this way around him before. This...insecurity, this self consciousness. 

The passion had always been there, the need to prove himself to the other, but he had never felt this doubt before...Or the sense of relief he had felt when Sasuke had heard his secret, and defended him. It was as if some deadbolted weight around his neck had been unlocked, and he'd become weightless. He'd never felt so...so....He didn't even know a word to place the feeling that he'd never experienced before. All he knew was that it was something he'd been missing, and perhaps, something he'd been longing for.  
  
---  
  
Watching the blonde stoically, Sasuke wondered if he had any idea just how much a person could read in his eyes. Kakashi was always a mystery, and liked it that way. And even Sakura kept her own feelings hidden deep down. But Naruto. He was so open, so expressive with what he was truely feeling. He'd never known anyone who could be that brave. 

It was something he secretly envied. At first, he had thought it was simply naivete; that he had simply been too innocent to understand. But now he knew that Naruto wasn't so naive. He was simply strong. He was used to being look down on, used to being berated and insulted. And he simply didn't care. He was determined to be who he was, and show that person to the world and be respected for it. 

That was something Sasuke couldn't claim. 

And now, shining in those eyes, was he saw had his stomach doing small tumbles. 

He could tell the other was worried about their situation, both the one that had developed today, and the night before. Would he have missed the other. A part of him would say 'hell no'. That he wouldn't miss the distractions, the annoyances, the useless fights. But another part, an unnerving part, told him he would miss the challenges; miss the way the other would give him his all, and never back down, even when he should. He would miss the bright look in those ocean blue eyes that sucked him in, much like the whirlpool he'd been named after. 

That was Naruto, alright. A small natural disaster. But he was loyal, and fierce, and though he would never admit it, he'd miss the certainty of knowing that the blonde would always be there to watch his back. 

And he was secretly glad that he wouldn't have to do without.  
  
--TBC--  
  
Fweee, hoped you liked that chapter. All of your reviews have helped me get this out, so keep them coming   
  
See you next time. 


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